Friday Recipes

It's Friday, the end of another week. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Chicken Piccata and Two-Pea Ravioli. Enjoy!

STEAK, ROASTED TOMATO AND BEAN CHILI

Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings.

Source: TBC

Recipe and photo appears courtesy of Cattlemen's Beef Promotion Board.

View online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/steak-roasted-tomato-and-bean-chili.

Ingredients

3 pounds Shoulder Steaks, cut 3/4-inch thick

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2-1/2 cups no-salt added roasted tomato salsa

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 cans (15 ounces each) no-salt added black beans, rinsed, drained

Optional Toppings/Additions

Guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped purple onion, chopped tomato, shredded cheese

Directions

Cut beef steaks into 3/4-inch pieces.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot. Brown beef in three batches. Set aside.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, bell pepper and onion to same stockpot. Cook and stir 6 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Return beef and accumulated juices to stockpot.

Add salsa, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1-3/4 to 2-1/4 hours or until beef is fork-tender.

Stir in beans; cook, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until beans are heated through, stirring occasionally.

Serve chili in bowls. Garnish with Toppings, as desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 289; Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Fiber: 6 g; Sodium: 264 mg; Cholesterol: 78 mg; Protein: 32 g; Carbohydrates: 23 g

LASAGNA

This comes from Regina Schrambling in The New York Times cooking enewletter. Regina wrote, "In 2001, Regina Schrambling went on a week long odyssey in search of the ultimate lasagna recipe. She tested several, and finally found her ideal in a mash-up of recipes from Giuliano Bugialli and Elodia Rigante, both Italian cookbook authors.

"'If there were central casting for casseroles, this one deserved the leading role. But its beauty was more than cheese deep. This was the best lasagna I had ever eaten. The sauce was intensely flavored, the cheeses melted into creaminess as if they were bechamel, the meat was just chunky enough, and the noodles put up no resistance to the fork. Most important, the balance of pasta and sauce was positively Italian. At last I could understand why my neighbor Geoff had told me, as I dragged home more bags in our elevator, that all-day lasagna is the only kind worth making.'"

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 4 hours

This can be featured in "The Noodle and I: A Face-Off at the Oven", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9530-lasagna.

Ingredients

For the sauce:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium red onions, finely diced

2 large cloves minced garlic

8 ounces pancetta, diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups good red wine, preferably Italian

2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 pound ground sirloin

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano

2 eggs

10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, washed and dried

2 large whole cloves garlic

1/2 cup flour

1 pound Italian sausage, a mix of hot and sweet

For the lasagna:

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

2 extra-large eggs

2 cups freshly grated pecorino Romano

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 pound mozzarella, grated

16 sheets fresh lasagna noodles, preferably Antica Pasteria

Preparation

For the sauce, heat 1/2 cup oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or kettle over low heat. Add the onions, minced garlic and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the onions are wilted. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Raise heat slightly, add the wine and cook until it is mostly reduced, about 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pan, and add their juice. Add the tomato paste and 2 cups lukewarm water. Simmer for 1 hour.

Combine the sirloin, cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Chop the parsley with the whole garlic until fine, then stir into the beef mixture. Season lavishly with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Shape into meatballs and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour, shaking off excess, and lay into the hot oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides (do not cook through) and transfer to the sauce.

In a clean skillet, brown the sausages over medium-high heat. Transfer to the sauce. Simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, pecorino Romano, parsley and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Remove the meatballs and sausage from the sauce, and set aside to cool slightly, then chop coarsely. Spoon a thick layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spoon more sauce on top, then add a third of the meat and a third of the cheese mixture. Repeat for 2 more layers, using all the meat and cheese. Top with a layer of noodles, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

IRISH SODA BREAD

This wonderful recipe was posted on Facebook, and is from The Irish Post. It starts off, "WITH IRELAND under strict lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, friends and families everywhere are turning to the time-honoured practice of baking to keep occupied.

"And with some supplies proving harder to come by than others, the need for simple yet delicious recipes has never been stronger.

"Thankfully, the Irish know a thing or two about baking."Bread may come in various shapes and sizes but few types compare to a first-rate bit of Irish soda bread.

"Perfect for a sandwich or as an accompaniment to a good soup or fry, Irish soda bread is so delicious, you might be tempted just to spread a bit of butter on top and enjoy it as one of life's simple pleasures."

The wonderful photo accompanying this also has the statement, "This brilliant four-ingredient Irish soda bread recipe will see you through lockdown."

This can be viewed online at https://www.irishpost.com/news/brilliant-four-ingredient-irish-soda-bread-recipe-will-see-lockdown-182905.

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 220°C. (This translates to 428°F.)

In a mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk together.

Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in buttermilk. Mix together (using hands is the best way to do this) until just combined. Do not overwork or knead the dough. Texture should be slightly crumbly but just sticking together.

Form into a ball and place on a cast iron skillet, greased baking sheet or dutch oven. Make an "X" in the dough with a knife, about an inch deep.

Bake for 40 minutes or until outside is browned.

CHICKEN PICCATA

This is from Ali Slagle at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Ali wrote, "Chicken piccata is an Italian-American staple beloved for its piquant flavors cradled in a silky, butter-rich pan sauce. It also doesn’t hurt that it cooks up very quickly. This version is mostly traditional except that it uses lemon two ways, calling for lemon slices to be caramelized (to soften their tang) and for a hit of fresh juice at the end (to brighten the whole dish). This ensures a sauce that's neither too rich, nor too puckery. Serve with a starch — pasta, polenta, rice or white beans — for sopping up the sauce, and a green vegetable."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 25 minutes

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019883-chicken-piccata.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved horizontally (see tip)

Kosher salt and black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 shallot, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1 lemon, halved (half thinly sliced and seeds removed; half juiced, about 2 tablespoons)

3/4 cup chicken stock

4 teaspoons drained capers

Coarsely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, add the chicken and sauté until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Remove the chicken, place on a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces, adding more olive oil if needed.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the shallot and lemon slices to the pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, capers and lemon juice, to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over the top. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Tip

Freezing the chicken breasts for 15 minutes will make slicing them through the middle easier.

TWO-PEA RAVIOLI

This comes from Weight Watchers, and begins, "Convenient frozen cheese ravioli is bulked up with sugar snap and green peas, then tossed with the zest and juice of a lemon for a dish that feels bright and fresh. For the best snap and crunch, choose fresh sugar snap peas—but know that frozen ones will also work well. Thaw them and toss them into the boiling water with the green peas, just long enough to warm them through. Try to serve this dish shortly after tossing everything together; if it sits for a while, the acid in the lemon juice will discolor the peas."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20; Serves: 4; Difficultly: Easy; Serving size: 1 1/4 cups

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 oz frozen cheese ravioli

8 oz., trimmed (or frozen snap peas) uncooked sugar snap peas

1 cup, thawed froze green peas

1 tsp lemon zest

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook 3 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and cook 2 minutes. Add green peas and cook 1 minute or until ravioli is tender and sugar snap peas are crisp-tender. Drain.

In a large bowl, stir together lemon zest and juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Add ravioli mixture and toss gently to coat.

ELAINE'S FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

This is from Alex Witchel in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Alex wrote, "This recipe came to The Times in a 2004 article about Elaine Kaufman, the founder and proprietress of the famed New York restaurant and celebrity hot spot that bore her name and where this dish was served. There is nothing fancy or complicated about it – it's glorified macaroni and cheese, really – but it is delicious and deeply satisfying. (Fun fact: Jackie O was a fan.)"

Yield: 6 servings; Time: 15 minutes

This was featured in "The Salon Keeper", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9025-elaines-fettuccine-alfredo.

Ingredients

Salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 large egg yolk

1 pound fresh fettuccine

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Bring 6 quarts generously salted water to a boil.

While the water heats, melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute until fragrant and sizzling, about 2 minutes. Whisk the cream with the egg yolk in a bowl until blended; pour into the garlic butter. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir until hot but not boiling. Keep warm over low heat.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta, partially covered, until al dente. (The pasta will float when it's done.) Drain in a colander, shaking out excess water, but reserve a little cooking water. Pour hot pasta into the cream mixture and toss to coat (still over low heat). Add the cheese and keep tossing gently until cream is mostly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. If sauce is absorbed too much, toss with a little pasta water. Serve in warm bowls.